tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964Thu, 10 May 2018 09:12:36 +0000HackingNethunterSecurityAppleHak5KaliiOSiPhoneAppleTVNexus 6POSCPSingaporeTP-LinkZeldaiPadiPodAdelaideAustraliaBrutalityCISSPKlangLinuxMalaysiaNexusSteve JobsTL-WN722NWiresharkabuseanimalsPandora's BoxThe not so personal site of Nickelby Thane. Here you'll find tidbits on my boring life yet at times filled with stuff all the way from tech news to StormTrooping and the occasional rants :-)http://nthane.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)Blogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-1097071025197928114Tue, 12 Sep 2017 06:02:00 +00002017-09-12T14:02:55.578+08:00KaliNethunterNexus 6PRooting a Nexus 6P using SuperSU v2.82 SR3 by Chainfire<div><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">From the XDA forums, comes a very good tip. If you are having problems patching your Nexus 6P using the SuperSU v2.82 SR3 and you saw that it failed in the logs,&nbsp;<a href="https://forum.xda-developers.com/member.php?u=3106495">Chiyo-chan</a>&nbsp;came up with this tip :-)</span></div><div><br /></div><div>"</div><div><div class="bbcode-quote" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; float: left; font-family: Hind, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; margin: 0px 15px 15px;"><div class="bbcode-quote-text" style="background-color: #ebebeb; border: 1px solid rgb(216, 216, 216); line-height: 19.019px; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px;"><div style="font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 20px;"><i><span style="font-size: 1em;">- Calling user ramdisk&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">patch</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">script</span></i></div><div style="font-size: 1em; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 20px;"><i>--- Failure, aborting<br /><br />my log when trying to&nbsp;install&nbsp;after a clean&nbsp;system&nbsp;+ boot reflash.<br />Is something wrong?&nbsp;HtC&nbsp;10 stock&nbsp;rom</i></div></div></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; clear: left; color: #454545; font-family: Hind, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;"></div><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;"><i><br /></i></span><i><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">Hi,</span><br style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: Hind, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;" /><br style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: Hind, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;" /><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">I had the same issue.</span><br style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: Hind, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;" /><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">Looking at the&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">code</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">&nbsp;in the SR2 zip&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">file</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">, I pinpointed it to the&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">file</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">&nbsp;/data/custom_ramdisk_patch.sh. Looking inside the&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">file</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">, it's some remains of&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">Magisk</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">. I removed that&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">file</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">&nbsp;via the TWRP Terminal (rm /data/custom_ramdisk_patch.sh) and it solved the problem.</span><br style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: Hind, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;" /><br style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: Hind, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;" /><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">Hope this helps!"</span></i><br /><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-family: &quot;hind&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #454545; font-size: 14.3px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-size: 14.3px;">And there's the quick fix.</span></span></div>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2017/09/rooting-nexus-6p-using-supersu-v282-sr3.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-174320843944879972Tue, 25 Apr 2017 00:37:00 +00002017-04-25T08:37:47.905+08:00HackingHak5SecuritySingaporeBash Bunny, BlackHat AsiaI gotten a Bash Bunny a month ago and boy this is a device to behold. It works somewhat like a rubber ducky but the plus point is you can immediately run scripts on it (it has a Python interpreter too!) without having to go through a compilation process like how the rubber ducky needs. The 3-way hardware switch toggle on the top is the icing on the cake. Modes 1 and 2 for unleashing the kraken while mode 3 makes it a mass storage device.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DMjrMsff4nk/WP6Wp-Usc7I/AAAAAAAAYyo/QSnWOIKgNc89cGCupgc3tvxMWncxAStGACKgB/s1600/IMG_5442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DMjrMsff4nk/WP6Wp-Usc7I/AAAAAAAAYyo/QSnWOIKgNc89cGCupgc3tvxMWncxAStGACKgB/s320/IMG_5442.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunny hoping</td></tr></tbody></table>I been very interested in USB attacks for the past few months now seeing how many organisations and people still rely on USB devices amidst a storm of wireless technologies offerings. One of the questions that got me thinking is there are USB ports on planes. What happens if you connect a rubber ducky or a bash bunny into the USB port and uses a mimikatz-like exploit? Well, like any other computer, if it connects to the main network, you are probably in passwords heaven. But I doubt it. Most media terminals on the plane are standalone. WiFi on the other ...<br /><br />By the way, for you security enthusiasts around the SEA region, one notable conference that might interests you is BlackHat Asia. This year, again it was held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo in Singapore. This is an excellent place for networking and getting to know the people in the industry. I have had the privilege of getting to know, meeting and talking with the Pingu team, Michael Ossmann of HackRF One fame, Jeff Moss with his young kid, Anthony Lai &nbsp;who is HongKong's OWASP chapter lead and the founder of the VXCON, another awesome security conference which I hope I can attend one day, and a whole group of other awesome security people. This is one conference you should seriously consider to attend even if it's for the free business pass.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7wEp9aLVyw/WP6YyDGsbsI/AAAAAAAAYy0/0_mLwgV7SOsPfyN2-4lMO-X0NJk72hPVgCKgB/s1600/IMG_20170330_090023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7wEp9aLVyw/WP6YyDGsbsI/AAAAAAAAYy0/0_mLwgV7SOsPfyN2-4lMO-X0NJk72hPVgCKgB/s320/IMG_20170330_090023.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of events for the day. Usually the briefings and the business hall events will last for two days. Blackhat trainings last for two days as well but they are held prior to the briefings and business hall days.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a1Dm4ADYNxc/WP6YyNDoD-I/AAAAAAAAYy0/uuLWwMXMtYMd8z1vw4sTqd0xBR9TI4WrgCKgB/s1600/FB_IMG_1490957577338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a1Dm4ADYNxc/WP6YyNDoD-I/AAAAAAAAYy0/uuLWwMXMtYMd8z1vw4sTqd0xBR9TI4WrgCKgB/s320/FB_IMG_1490957577338.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the popular booths in Blackhat Asia business hall. Here the contestants are picking locks to win prizes. Photo credited to Anthony.</td></tr></tbody></table>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2017/04/bash-bunny-blackhat-asia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-2486702548409142393Tue, 14 Mar 2017 01:47:00 +00002017-03-14T09:53:47.960+08:00NethunterNexusNexus 6PNexus 6P<p dir="ltr">The <u>Nexus</u> 6 has a new companion for on-the-go pentesting. Can't wait to see how this baby performs on multi core tasks compared to the 6. Was tempted to flash my OnePlus 3T at first but side loading the OTAs are kinda painful compared to the Nexus phones. Pixel phones? No can do with Google's change in the FS structure. For now. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nhP4zRZo3Ds/WMdMoyt5T-I/AAAAAAAAYCc/gmFu-Yvcno0/s1600/1489456266737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nhP4zRZo3Ds/WMdMoyt5T-I/AAAAAAAAYCc/gmFu-Yvcno0/s640/1489456266737.jpg"> </a> </div>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2017/03/nexus-6p.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-1988158634245210663Fri, 25 Nov 2016 00:56:00 +00002016-11-25T09:18:45.330+08:00HackingHak5KaliNethunterOSCPSecurityTP-LinkNexus 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Back to a bit of blogging from time to time since the OSCP and work is taking quite a bit of my time. Not to mention family time with the Hyrulian princess.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">A few months back, I've gotten a Nexus 6 pre-owned. Now why would I want a pre-owned 2 years old handset when I could have spend a bit more money and maybe get a not too 'old' handset? Well I wanted to replace my Nexus 7 as my mobile penetration testing device. I wanted something reliable, cheap and easily modified. The Nexus 6P was still pretty expensive back then and even though the price had come down a little (for pre-owned sets) thanks to the Pixel phones, they are still quite a bit of a wallet-drainer. The Nexus 6 on the other hand, is a gem. Big screen, faster processor than my Nexus 7, more mobile than a tablet and it's a phone for goodness sake so ... sorry Nexus 7 ... you are relegated to a backup device for now. Besides, Nougat 7.0 runs officially on the Nexus 6 which makes it a tad more 'updated'.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jw-2VCtnxFg/WDeMP5HNuRI/AAAAAAAAWZE/iJdRtdxo8yo/s640/blogger-image-729302941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jw-2VCtnxFg/WDeMP5HNuRI/AAAAAAAAWZE/iJdRtdxo8yo/s640/blogger-image-729302941.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Ain't she a beauty? If you look carefully, you'll see a TP-Link WN722N behind the phone which I used some velcro to attach it to the phone. Works pretty well. At least I don't have to look awkward holding a phone in one hand and the other a wireless adapter. Besides this setup sorts of conceals me when I am doing assignments walking around randomly in companies without raising concerns among its employees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">By the way, in case you plan to make a Nexus 6 your only device for penetration testing or acting cool like in Mr. Robot (although that was a PwnPhone which is essentially a Nexus 5 with a customized Pwn ROM), do take note of its limitations. For one, if you heard of the recent BlackNurse attack (read up on it...it's an interesting effective 20 years old attack technique) the Nexus 6 caps out at TX less than 10mbps which is below the 15mbps required to launch a successful attack. Not that I've never heard of people actually using their phones to DoS networks ...</div>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2016/11/nexus-6.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-6905083831874617526Mon, 29 Aug 2016 09:22:00 +00002016-11-25T08:50:54.401+08:00AustraliaCISSPHackingHak5OSCPSecuritySingaporeZeldaSomething big is about to happen in a month's timeIgnore the tile. It's another post of another day ;-). The one year since I last posted were filled with many changes in my life both work and personal. Personal wise, Zelda turned 3 years old recently. Still trying to be a good father though ... not sure if I am doing things right but we'll hear soon enough from the little Hyrulian princess.<br /><br />Pimped my Mr. Robot wannabe MacBook Air (it's an 11-inch model by the way and is something that I am typing on currently). Filled with stickers, nothing too personal save perhaps the dated picture of the Hyrulian princess. The priciest sticker would have to be the Hak5 one. How did I get it?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jfKCmUOSTKs/V8P5UJ4wrtI/AAAAAAAAKKY/70_O9aZZFB8wSZGPxP_4gJrtSR_B6PUiQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jfKCmUOSTKs/V8P5UJ4wrtI/AAAAAAAAKKY/70_O9aZZFB8wSZGPxP_4gJrtSR_B6PUiQCLcB/s320/IMG_4656.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Well I side ordered a few of them when I spent some dough on the Hak5 wireless kit which is shown below. Almost everything you see in the picture (rubber ducky USB, LAN turtle, tons of cables, a DVB tuner, antennas and of course the famous PineApple device) are all from Hak5 except the HackRF One, which is a device I had a year back. That's really some kick-ass security gear there! Now I need to scout for RFID cards and some other security hardware to add into this wireless kit. By the way, if you ever buy these kind of stuff, make sure you know what you are doing and not try something stupid and illegal. You do not want to land in jail for nothing ...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LlEWvdoZz1I/V8P5diBtdUI/AAAAAAAAKKc/DtRymKqUogcCOkMuFBSedKJYb5sjEOEbACLcB/s1600/IMG_4607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LlEWvdoZz1I/V8P5diBtdUI/AAAAAAAAKKc/DtRymKqUogcCOkMuFBSedKJYb5sjEOEbACLcB/s320/IMG_4607.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the other hand, if you want to feel like doing something 'illegal' but legally of course, there's the Mr. Robot game that's available on iOS and Android now. It's a text-based SMS-like game which puts you in the role of a hacker wannabe (either by choice or forcefully depending on how you look at it) who is going to help Darlene and 'E' to achieve their goals. And yes, that's what I been spending some of my train rides time for.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e8WZn0ZFIgo/V8P5iHhPuPI/AAAAAAAAKKg/1ndBsvvHviATGumeEv5aVLYc5rnij9zawCLcB/s1600/IMG_4661.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e8WZn0ZFIgo/V8P5iHhPuPI/AAAAAAAAKKg/1ndBsvvHviATGumeEv5aVLYc5rnij9zawCLcB/s320/IMG_4661.PNG" width="179" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Exam-wise and also to improve myself, I am attempting to try for the OSCP the next few months. Hopefully I am good enough to attempt it but we'll see. It's a tough exam. Much much tougher than the CISSP or even CEH I would say (not that I have taken the CEH before ;-)). Wish me luck!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Till the next post ... over and out.</div>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2016/08/something-big-is-about-to-happen-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-1278400169969343613Thu, 13 Aug 2015 14:15:00 +00002016-01-11T10:57:20.409+08:00HackingKaliLinuxNethunterSecurityTL-WN722NTP-LinkNethunter 2.0 on a Nexus 7 2013 with the TP-Link TL-WN722N<i><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">Note: This fix has only been tested on a Nexus 7 2013 (WiFi edition) only. It may or may not work on other Nexus 7 variants (2012, 2013 LTE, etc.). Your mileage may differ from mine. Also note this is for the Kitkat image as the Lollipop images seem to have broken WN722N support. Also take note this is for the KitKat release and NOT for the Lollipop release.</span></i><br /><br />Some of you might be into mobile penetration testing and use a Nexus 7 for that. Some of you may come across the issue that after upgrading to the latest Kali Linux 2.0, or in this case, Nethunter 2.0, on your Nexus 7, connecting an external WiFi adapter such as the cheap but efficient TP-Link TL-WN722N no longer works. Some might suggest trying to fire up aircrack-ng to 'force' the interface up but if you check your dmesg logs, you will not see it connected.<br /><br />My guess is the kernel does not recognize it. Now running Kali Linux 2.0 on a VM under OSX or Windows 8.1 for that matter, it works flawlessly without a hitch. After all, Nethunter 2.0 is based on Kali Linux 2.0 right? Unfortunately, not on the Nexus 7 at least for me.<br /><br />The fix? Just open up the Nethunter launcher on your homescreen, select the first option which is to run the terminal window. You should have root access automatically. If this is the first time you do this, SuperSU or Superuser should prompt you for root rights.<br /><br />Once in the terminal just do a "<b><span style="color: blue;">apt-get install firmware-atheros</span></b>". This will grab the Atheros chipset modules and allow them to be loaded onto the kernel. For your information, the WN722N runs on the ath9k_htc module. After finished installing this package, unplug your TL-WN722N and replug it and do a "iwconfig" to confirm it lives. If it doesn't, try unplugging and re-plugging it again or reboot your Nexus 7. It should work by now.<br /><br /><br />http://nthane.blogspot.com/2015/08/nethunter-20-on-nexus-7-2013-with-tp.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-3566201232568181410Wed, 22 Apr 2015 01:11:00 +00002016-08-29T16:50:37.449+08:00ZeldaZeldaIt's been ages since I last blogged (a year plus to be exact but who's counting :P). This is thanks to my new role as being a father to a beautiful daughter whom I named Zelda (for the same reasons as the late Robin Williams, the name was chosen due to my love for the Zelda Nintendo games). She's about 20 months plus now. She's been an angel and a mischievous monkey all these while but the abundance of joy she brings to me is indescribable.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Apart from enjoying my time as a father, there were other changes and achievements from 2013 onwards. I am now a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) since November 2014. So from this, a lot of you might realise that my focus is going back to full time security which I have been doing bits and pieces of it on my time as a network person in the companies that I worked with till today.<br /><br />Future planning-wise, I still hope one day to settle down overseas. Zelda was conceived during my last few months in Adelaide so some might say she's half Australian made haha.<br /><br />At the moment, I am focusing now on getting work in Australia or Singapore. Reasons for migration? Zelda's future in terms of education and quality of life. As a Malaysian, I am sad that my country for the past few years is riddled with ridiculous politics and racism. As I have believed strongly before that without religion fanatics and politics bootlickers, this world will be at peace. That's another story for another day though.http://nthane.blogspot.com/2015/04/zelda.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-4291206691936510577Sun, 22 Sep 2013 06:58:00 +00002013-09-22T14:59:31.310+08:00abuseanimalsBrutalityKlangMalaysiaThe Barbaric Reality Of Strays In Malaysia ( Dogs on Death Row )<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is really barbaric by the authorities in Malaysia (in this video, it's the Majlis Perbandaran Klang). It makes you wonder where is the love and compassion so highly advertised by the Malaysian government. For RM 2000, the workers who worked for the government treats dogs like rubbish. The best part is their so-called management, the Malay lady who just stand there and act stupid (or is she really stupid?) when being confronted. The other man in white tries to intimidate the video taker. This is called bullying just because you are bigger size does not mean that you have the right to force people into agreeing you are right. Another uneducated fool if you ask me. Give a bad name to those working in the government who are sincerely diligent and compassionate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Majlis Perbandaran Klang authorities, you are a BIG DISGRACE to the peace-loving and animal-loving people of Malaysia and the world in general.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/2eN_zLzSw0U/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/2eN_zLzSw0U&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/2eN_zLzSw0U&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br />http://nthane.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-barbaric-reality-of-strays-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-2598516187511464901Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:35:00 +00002013-06-12T15:36:23.751+08:00AppleAppleTViOSiPadiPhoneiPodiOS 7 IconsApple released a beta version of iOS 7.0&nbsp;meant for developers two days ago. Having using it for two days and found quite a handful of bugs, I must admit that iOS 7.0 is nice to use. However, the same cannot be said of the icons. I do like some of the new icons that were redesigned on iOS 7.0 but some like "Game Centre" is a bit ... confusing to me. You be the judge with the screenshot below.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xzyw7okKhFo/UbgkriCYsmI/AAAAAAAABtA/4d_H9w4D3gw/s1600/iOS-6-vs-iOS-7-icons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xzyw7okKhFo/UbgkriCYsmI/AAAAAAAABtA/4d_H9w4D3gw/s320/iOS-6-vs-iOS-7-icons.png" width="116" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em>Credits go to Jaden of iJailbreak for the screenshot.</em></span>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2013/06/ios-7-icons.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-8206081191739341523Thu, 22 Nov 2012 06:42:00 +00002012-12-30T08:48:11.015+08:00AdelaideIt's TOUGH finding work in AdelaideAnd here's why ...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H1ORjaoBO4U/UK3I5dCUSJI/AAAAAAAABpY/XaPTYI6IGPM/s1600/Adelaide+Jobs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H1ORjaoBO4U/UK3I5dCUSJI/AAAAAAAABpY/XaPTYI6IGPM/s1600/Adelaide+Jobs.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Credit goes to AdelaideJobs/FB</i></span>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2012/11/its-tough-finding-work-in-adelaide.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-7371023749745059087Sun, 19 Aug 2012 02:01:00 +00002012-08-19T10:01:00.303+08:00WiresharkWireshark 1.8.1 and OSX 10.8 Saw this question a few times so thought I share it here (I tweeted about this a few weeks ago). If you are having problems installing Wireshark 1.8.1 on OSX 10.8, you need to know that OSX 10.8 does not come with X11 pre-installed. As such, you need to find other X11 libraries such as XQuartz. Google for XQuartz, get the latest version and install it. Once that's done, you are back to being a packet ninja.<br/><br/>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2012/08/wireshark-181-and-osx-108.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-9130137847211883111Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:46:00 +00002011-12-15T11:46:38.366+08:00Cool perks of some Silicon Valley companiesMakes you wonder if you'll ever get these kind of perks eh? ;-). This demographic is probably uptodate as of today but may very well change in the future. Tagged seems the nicest among the lot ... (I am very pro in telecommuting :-))<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2pDrlPrjah8/TultWgSTi5I/AAAAAAAABaI/EIGqkYdWpac/s1600/tech-company-perks-infographic-972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2pDrlPrjah8/TultWgSTi5I/AAAAAAAABaI/EIGqkYdWpac/s1600/tech-company-perks-infographic-972.jpg" /></a></div><br />http://nthane.blogspot.com/2011/12/cool-perks-of-some-silicon-valley.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-7640593315629960296Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:04:00 +00002015-04-22T09:17:51.002+08:00AppleAppleTViOSiPadiPhoneiPodHow to Build a Successful iDevice App :-)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byjORfwHZx0/TubAhEoOm9I/AAAAAAAABaA/rz_6v1yWBpI/s1600/iphone-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byjORfwHZx0/TubAhEoOm9I/AAAAAAAABaA/rz_6v1yWBpI/s1600/iphone-2.jpg" /></a></div><br />http://nthane.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-build-successful-idevice-app.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-6896628124121992761Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:36:00 +00002015-04-22T09:18:33.188+08:00AppleiOSiPhoneiPhone EvolutionUnbelievable ... 4 million units of iPhone 4S in the first week of sales compared to 700k units of the original iPhone when it was first released to the world. Probably 5 million iPhone 5s next year :-)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cTnEyn-vvDU/TuAw0mJZEsI/AAAAAAAABZ4/maFtaw6z5dk/s1600/iPhone_evolution_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cTnEyn-vvDU/TuAw0mJZEsI/AAAAAAAABZ4/maFtaw6z5dk/s1600/iPhone_evolution_2.jpg" /></a></div><br />http://nthane.blogspot.com/2011/12/iphone-evolution.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-3247511874797632100Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:44:00 +00002011-11-03T21:05:55.879+08:00Steve JobsSteve Jobs Biography by Walter IsaacsonThis is what I am currently reading. Have went through a good quarter of the book and I will sum it up in one word so far : MAGICAL.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-23-pYGVf3oU/TqfkeqlgVEI/AAAAAAAABYY/mUNcKrdnLIE/s640/blogger-image--1822847266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-23-pYGVf3oU/TqfkeqlgVEI/AAAAAAAABYY/mUNcKrdnLIE/s400/blogger-image--1822847266.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2011/10/steve-jobs-biography-by-walter-isaacson.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-4248904726196077415Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:21:00 +00002011-03-24T17:21:40.131+08:00iPhone 5 Rumor RoundUp MiniThe picture says it all ... and by the way Happy Birthday to my best friend Grace FLL, the Nando's fanatic! ;-)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jDNeP2xYiSM/TYsNFIYpnzI/AAAAAAAABVA/gpFP4YegSt8/s1600/iPhone-5-Rumor-RoundUp-mini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jDNeP2xYiSM/TYsNFIYpnzI/AAAAAAAABVA/gpFP4YegSt8/s1600/iPhone-5-Rumor-RoundUp-mini.jpg" /></a></div>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2011/03/iphone-5-rumor-roundup-mini.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-3174405927159127173Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:37:00 +00002011-03-22T14:29:23.827+08:00Japan Earthquake Cartoon Done RightIt has been more than a week since the triple disaster in Japan (earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant). As of today, people are still recovering from the earthquake and tsunami and at the same time having control of the nuclear situation in Fukushima Daiichi plant.<br /><br />As I was on Twitter today, I stumbled across a picture of Ultraman and the tsunami. Where as a local Malaysian newspaper called Berita Harian decipits a controversial and insensitive cartoon of Ultraman running away from the tsunami, this picture that I came across was done right. You can compare them below.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IQAtMWop8nI/TYgYlRyBnCI/AAAAAAAABU8/69ktFqFXEIY/s1600/cartoon+berita+harian+tsunami+jepun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IQAtMWop8nI/TYgYlRyBnCI/AAAAAAAABU8/69ktFqFXEIY/s320/cartoon+berita+harian+tsunami+jepun.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This is the controversial and insensitive cartoon by Berita Harian. Please take note that a majority of the Malaysian people have reacted very strongly to this cartoon. The cartoon is in no way represent the feelings of Malaysians.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xGWArluKGb0/TYgYk9BcahI/AAAAAAAABU4/C33tZTSjC_w/s1600/262010519s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xGWArluKGb0/TYgYk9BcahI/AAAAAAAABU4/C33tZTSjC_w/s320/262010519s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This cartoon is done right. It shows Ultraman saving people from the tsunami. Such cartoons aims to improve and promote hope to the Japanese people to never give up hope in the face of danger. Credits to Peter of J-List for sharing this.http://nthane.blogspot.com/2011/03/japan-earthquake-cartoon-done-right.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-3582081334603607573Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:41:00 +00002011-02-10T15:41:03.499+08:00Flash 10.1 on the Nokia N900 (non-hardware accelerated!)Note: Do this with root access. If you don't know what root is, you shouldn't be messing with your N900 <br /><br />Replace the file in /usr/lib/browser/plugins with the file found <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4815558/libflashplayer.so"><b style="color: red;">here</b></a>. Make sure that you already do a backup of the Flash 9 plugin and maybe move it to /opt to save some valuable space (note that the /usr resides in a paltry 256MB partition as opposed to your /home partition on the Nokia N900).<br /><br />Also please take note that this plugin is BETA and is not hardware accelerated hence it will drain your battery rapidly.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Credits go to knownokia for this hack.</i></span>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2011/02/flash-101-on-nokia-n900-non-hardware.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-3927722032349581077Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:59:00 +00002011-02-01T13:59:18.585+08:00iPhone or iPad Safari Cannot Open Links from Google Results?Ensure that UAFaker or another program that deals with user agent customization are disabled to see if that fixes the problem.http://nthane.blogspot.com/2011/02/iphone-or-ipad-safari-cannot-open-links.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-1579043726520286303Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:46:00 +00002011-02-01T13:46:23.256+08:00SSH Not Working on iPhone?<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><u style="color: red;">Take note this is for jailbroken iPhones only. </u></b></span></div><br />Sometimes even though you have OpenSSH configured properly and have Automatic SSH installed on your iPhone, you may tend to lose SSH connectivity to your phone. As such is the world of IT ;-) especially when you get hit with a virus or some other program tend to screw your phone up.<br /><br />You can always reinstall OpenSSH and Automatic SSH but the fix is lost after a reboot.<br /><br />You can try the following to see if that restores your SSH before actually doing a hard reset or restore<i> (if you never restored your phone before ... you are in for a long journey ... for me I did it way too many times in January 2011).</i><br /><br /><div style="color: blue;"><b>rm /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.ikey.bbot.plist<br />rm /bin/poc-bbot<br />rm /bin/sshpass</b></div><br />You can also try doing the following. Make sure you are root before doing this and that you already have MobileTerminal installed. As a practice and as an iPhone power user, ALWAYS install MobileTerminal as the first non-Cydia stock apps. And personally for me, I payed for an application called iFile (yes ... I know there are cracked versions but if you don't support good developers, you are just going to waste their efforts!) which made navigation and editing 10x easier!<br /><br />Edit <b style="color: #660000;">/etc/ssh/sshd_config</b> and change the line<br /><br />from<br /><br /><code>#ClientAliveInterval 0</code><br /><br />to<br /><br /><code>ClientAliveInterval 60</code><br /><br />According to man sshd_config, this line,<br /><br />Sets a timeout interval in seconds after which if no data has been received from the client, sshd(8) will send a message through the encrypted channel to request a response from the client. The default is 0, indicating that these messages will not be sent to the client. This option applies to protocol version 2 only.<br /><br />Restart the sshd daemon or better yet, reboot your iPhone for it to take effect.<br /><br />Good luck!http://nthane.blogspot.com/2011/02/ssh-not-working-on-iphone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-460009947664994515Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:30:00 +00002010-08-02T22:30:41.385+08:00Jailbreaking the iPhone 3G/3GS with iOS v4.0.1 and new bootromFirst, open up Safari on your iPhone and go to http://www.jailbreakme.com OR http://jailbreakme.modmyi.com. Slide the unlock bar to begin the jailbreaking process. If you are stuck at the 'purple screen of nothingness' ;-),&nbsp; please ensure that you:<br /><br />1. From Settings -&gt; Safari -&gt; Set Accept Cookies to NEVER<br />2. Turn OFF pop-up blocker (this is very important!<br /><br />Enjoy!http://nthane.blogspot.com/2010/08/jailbreaking-iphone-3g3gs-with-ios-v401.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-5951336036520818772Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:25:00 +00002010-07-10T23:28:34.711+08:00Permanently Overclocking the Nokia N900 and Modifying the SwappinessWith a LV kernel, do the following:<br /><br />sudo kernel-config load lv<br />sudo kernel-config limits 250 805 (if you want your min speed to 250mhz and max to 805mhz. I did mine with 250 and 1150 with no ill-effects atm)<br />sudo kernel-config save lv8<br />sudo kernel-config load lv8<br />sudo kernel-config default lv8<br /><br />To modify the swappiness of the Nokia N900 which at default is 100 (60 or 30 seems to be the sweet spot for some), do the following:<br /><br />1. EDIT /etc/init.d/rcS<br />2. Look for the value 100 for swappiness (it has /proc in it) and change the value 100 to value 60 or 30.<br />3, SAVE the file.<br /><br />Again kudos to the forum at Maemo for this ^_^http://nthane.blogspot.com/2010/07/permanently-overclocking-nokia-n900.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-872534128437864313Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:54:00 +00002010-07-10T21:54:16.187+08:00Nokia N900 Does Work in Japan!If your Nokia N900 doesn't work in Japan especially if you're using NTT DoCoMo's 3G data-only SIM, try the following as root<br /><br />dbus-send --system --type=method_call --print-reply --dest=com.nokia.phone.net "/com/nokia/csd/gprs" org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.Set string:com.nokia.csd.GPRS string:AttachMode variant:string:WhenAvailable<br /><br />Hopefully that will sort this out for you ^_^. Credits goes to the fine folks at the Maemo forums.http://nthane.blogspot.com/2010/07/nokia-n900-does-work-in-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-4612036746072040907Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:43:00 +00002010-07-07T19:42:03.124+08:00Kobukuru - Tsubomi (theme song from the 'True Story of Mari' Youtube clip)The song on the 'True Story of Mari' on Youtube is sung by Kobukuro titled Tsubomi. Here are the lyrics in Japanese and the translation. Original post from <a href="http://shourainoyume.blogspot.com/2008/01/kobukuro-tsubomi.html">ShouraiNoYume</a> ^_^. Tsubomi means flower bud in case you are wondering ...<br /><br /><blockquote><b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lyric</span>s in Japanese</b><br /><br />Namida koboshitemo ase ni mamireta egao no naka ja<br />Dare mo kidzuite wa kurenai<br />Dakara anata no namida wo boku wa shiranai<br />Tayasu kotonaku boku no kokoro ni tomosareteita<br />Yasashii akari wa anata ga kureta riyuu naki ai no akashi<br />Yawarakana hidamari ga tsutsumu senaka ni botsuri hanashi kakenagara<br />Itsuka konna hi ga kuru koto mo<br />Kitto, kitto, kitto, wakatteta hazu na no ni<br />Kiesou ni sakisou na tsubomi ga kotoshi mo boku wo matteru<br />Tenohira ja tsukamenai kaze ni odoru hanabira<br />Tachidomaru kata ni hirari<br />Jouzu ni nosete waratte miseta anata wo omoidasu hitori<br />Biru no tanima ni umoreta yume wo itsuka mebuite<br />Hana wo sagasu darou shinjita yume wa saku basho wo erabanai<br />Bokura kono machi ni otosareta kageboushi minna hikari wo sagashite<br />Kasanari au toki no nagare mo<br />Kitto, kitto, kitto, oikoseru hi ga kuru sa<br />Kaze no nai senro michi go gatsu no misora wa aoku sabishiku<br />Ugokanai chigiregumo itsu made mo ukabeteta<br />Doko ni mo mou modorenai<br />Boku no you da to sasayaku kaze ni kirari mai ochiteku namida<br />Chirigiwa ni mou ichido hiraku hanabira wa anata no you ni<br />kikoenai ganbare wo nigitta ryoute ni nando mo kureta<br />Kiesou ni sakisou na tsubomi ga kotoshi mo boku wo matteru<br />Ima mo mada tsukamenai anata to egaita yume<br />Tachidomaru boku no soba de<br />Yasashiku hiraku egao no you na tsubomi wo sagashiteru sora ni<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></blockquote><br /><blockquote><b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Translation</span> in English</b><br /><br />just like crying, in the middle of a smile smeared with perspiration<br />no one can be recognised<br />thats why i don't know about your tears<br /><br />its still burning, lighting up my heart<br />i recieved from you the tender light, proof of unconditional love<br /><br />while being enveloped by the gentle spot under the sun, i whisper into your back<br />even if a day like this comes again<br />surely, surely, surely, you would be able to understand<br /><br />vanishing and blooming, this year too the flower bud is waiting for me<br />the petal dancing in the wind that my palm can't grasp<br />stops on the shoulder lightly<br />skillfully riding it and showing a smile, i remember you by myself<br /><br />in the valley of buildings, sometimes buried dreams bud too<br />isn't that what makes flowers bloom? you can't choose where your dreams will blossom<br /><br />the silhouettes we dropped on this town, they're all looking for the light<br />even as time overlaps and flows over itself<br />surely, surely, surely the day we grow out of this will come<br /><br />on the breezeless track, the beautiful sky of may feels blue and lonely<br />the motionless scattered clouds will always be floating<br />there is no place i can return to anymore<br />this is the way i am, in the whispering wind it dances to the ground with a flash, my tears<br /><br />almost scattering, the re-opening petals are like you<br />giving time and again to these hands that grasp at the silent encouragements<br /><br />vanishing and blooming, this year too the flower bud is waiting for me<br />even now i still can't catch the dreams you painted<br />stopping right beside me<br />opening gracefully just like a smile, i keep looking for the flower bud, in the sky</blockquote>http://nthane.blogspot.com/2010/07/kobukuru-tsubomi-theme-song-from-true.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608964.post-2847458878140044497Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:34:00 +00002010-07-06T10:34:34.266+08:00The Inspiring Story of Mari and Her Puppies<h3>By the Japan News Group (Originally in Japanese)</h3><h4 align="center">Three puppies born on the day of an earthquake</h4>On the fateful morning of October 23, 2004, a dog named Mari gave birth to three puppies in Yamakoshi Village, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. That evening, a severe earthquake struck Niigata and devastated the Village, causing almost all of its homes to collapse, including the one where Mari lived. During the quake the newborn puppies were jolted away from their mother, and since their eyes were still closed, they could not find their way back to her side. Also, because she was bound by a leash, Mari could not reach her babies. She tried repeatedly to pull free from the leash, but to no avail. Then, several tremors occurred and Mari tried even harder to break free until her neck began to bleed. Suddenly, another strong aftershock struck, Mari struggled with all her might, and the collar suddenly came loose. Next she quickly picked up her puppies, moved them to a safe place, and without taking a rest ran toward the ruins that were once her house.<br /><h4>Courageous rescue of grandfather</h4>The grandfather of Mari’s family was home alone that day. He lived on the second floor, but suffered from a neurological disorder that made it impossible for him to stand on his feet or climb the stairs unassisted. After the earthquake, the old man was immobilized as he had been trapped beneath a wardrobe. Aftershocks and the total darkness resulting from a power outage pushed him into desperately thinking that death might be around the corner. Just then, Mari appeared in his room on the second floor and looked at him with encouraging eyes. The grandfather had been slipping into unconsciousness, but when he saw Mari he regained awareness although he was still immobilized. Mari then licked him to give him encouragement and went downstairs several times to check on her pups before quickly returning to the man’s room. She ran back and forth many times even though her paws had been injured by the sharp-edged glass and pieces of porcelain that lay all over the floor. Each trip gave her new wounds, but Mari managed to kindle new hope in the grandfather’s heart, and looking at Mari he thought, “I must live on. I cannot give up,” Finally, he pushed at the wardrobe with all his strength, it gave way and he managed to free himself. Then with Mari's encouragement, the grandfather spent two hours climbing down the stairs—a feat he had previously been unable to accomplish without help. Upon reaching the ground floor, he was happy to find that the three puppies were safe and sound. <br /><h4><br />A sad parting and further ordeals</h4>After the October 23, 2004 earthquake Yamakoshi Village was in a state of total destruction and isolation as all local roads had been cut off. And with a continuous series of aftershocks increasing the danger of landslides, on October 25 all the villagers were evacuated by helicopter to a nearby accommodation center. Under these circumstances, the grandfather was forced to leave Mari behind for in times of disaster saving human lives is the main concern. He left all of his pet food for his beloved dog, prayed that she and her pups would be safe and took off her collar. Then, with no other options, as he boarded the helicopter to leave behind the one who had saved his life, he said with guilt and sadness, "I’m very sorry, Mari," and felt heart-broken as Mari howled in deep sorrow. <br /><img height="272" src="http://magazine.godsdirectcontact.net/english/160/images/an1-1.jpg" width="300" /> As time passed and her supply of rations ran out, Mari had to search for food in her abandoned village, suffering many ordeals as she tried to protect her little puppies. All the while the grandfather thought of her constantly, and with anxiety over the continuing tremors fell ill and had to be hospitalized. Then two weeks after the evacuation, the villagers were allowed to return to Yamakoshi to see their homes. Among the returnees was the man’s son, who immediately began to search for Mari. Upon finding her, he noticed that she was much thinner, and she hesitated for an instant after hearing her name but then dashed toward him. He held her close in his arms for a long time. Mari had not had enough food for herself, but she fed her babies milk and took care of them as well as she could. In contrast to their skinny mother, the three puppies looked chubby and healthy as they slept sweetly on the porch. The son was delighted to see the little pups growing up in good health.<br /><table align="right" cellspacing="0" style="width: 244px;"><tbody><tr> <td width="240"><div align="right"><img height="232" src="http://magazine.godsdirectcontact.net/english/160/images/an1-2.jpg" width="233" /></div></td> </tr></tbody></table>Before Yamakoshi Village was reconstructed, the villagers remained in temporary housing in a neighboring city. Being in charge of advertising affairs for the village committee, the son was a busy man so he placed Mari and her puppies in the care of another family. When the grandfather was still in the hospital, Mari's caretaker took her to visit him. Thus, after undergoing countless trials, Mari and the old man were finally reunited. Mari was very happy to see the man, who was recuperating and said with quivering lips and tears filling his eyes, "Thank you for saving my life."<br />Then in April 2005 the grandfather was discharged from the hospital and began living with his son and Mari in an apartment. By that time Mari's three puppies had been adopted by other families and were growing up healthily in their new homes. Today, the grandfather and his family are still living in the apartment but look forward to returning soon to Yamakoshi Village.<br /><h4>Fireworks for Mari</h4><img align="left" height="412" src="http://magazine.godsdirectcontact.net/english/160/images/an1-4-160.jpg" width="297" />Mari’s touching story, which illustrates the mutual trust and love between humans and animals that helps them through ordeals, has frequently been reported in the news media and has also been adapted as an illustrated storybook —<i><span ?font-family:="" color:="" new="" red?="" roman;="" times=""> Mari of Yamakoshi Village and Her Three Pups</span></i>. The book has received a huge response in Japan and serves as a great inspiration for disaster victims. The company that published the volume is contributing part of its sales revenues to the reconstruction and relief funds for areas affected by the October 2004 earthquake, and distributes the book free of charge to children in Yamakoshi Village and its thirteen neighboring cities.<br /><h5>&nbsp;</h5>On August 2, 2005, the villagers held a fireworks celebration in their city of refuge just as they do in their home town each year, and this year event was entitled “Fireworks for Mari.” While participating in the festivity they wished that Yamakoshi Village could be recovered as quickly as possible. Amid the dazzling light and smoke of the fireworks, Mari's radiant smile seemed to fill the night sky, bringing hope and encouragement to the spectators.<img align="texttop" height="21" src="http://magazine.godsdirectcontact.net/english/160/images/end.gif" width="23" />http://nthane.blogspot.com/2010/07/inspiring-story-of-mari-and-her-puppies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nickelby)0